Ensilage cutter



May 11, 1937. J BULLOCK 2,079,838

ENS ILAGE CUTTER Filed Feb. 13, 1936 Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Papec Machine Company, Shortsville, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 13, 1986, Serial No. 63,772

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to an ensilage cutting machine and has for its object to provide improved means which will facilitate the passage of the material between the cutting wheel and the supporting structure therefor with a minimum degree of frictional resistance in order toavoid overheating and igniting of the dry material fed to the cutting wheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means on the cutting wheel operating shaft for rotation therewith in overlying relation with respect to one end of the shaft bearing, or a portion of the supporting frame for the bearing, or both, whereby to prevent winding upon said parts by the shaft or cutting wheel of binder twine and other stringy material discharging to the cutting wheel so as to avoid subjecting the material to undue frictional resistance to prevent its becoming ignited and setting fire to the materials being fed to or discharging from the machine.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the improved guard removed from the cutting wheel operating shaft.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The present machine is adapted for the cutting of bundles of corn or corn-fodder and of hay, straw, and. other materials, and embodies improved means which will prevent the winding of the cut or partially cut material by the cutting wheel or its shaft on any fixed parts adjacent to the central portion of the wheel, such as the shaft bearing or supporting frame for the bearing. This is accomplished by fixing upon the shaft an improved safety collar or guard which will not only prevent the material from coming in contact with the bearing and the adjacent portions of the supporting frame, but which will also serve to direct the material away from said parts toward and into the cutting wheel, whereby to facilitate discharge of the material by the wheel and the fan associated therewith, not shown.

Referring to the drawing, the body of the cutting wheel is indicated at l0 and the hub thereof at H, the latter being suitably secured on the wheel-driving shaft I2, rotatably mounted within the bearing [3 which is provided with a suitable lining Hi. The bearing has an outer reduced end portion l3a which is in advance of the outer face of the supporting frame IS, the frame having a cover plate [6 thereon as shown in Fig. 1.

The cutting edge I! of the shear plate or bar I8 is located in advance of the cover plate l6 whereby the tangentially arranged cutting knives IS on the wheel Iii, which cooperate with the shear plate, are spaced from the frame. The knives are mounted on suitable supports carried by the cutting wheel and are spaced at equal distances apart on the inner face of the wheel, the knives being preferably pointed at their inner ends as indicated at 2|.

Mounted on the shaft l2 between the hub of the wheel l0 and the end of the bearing I3 is a guard or collar 22 recessed at 23 to receive the reduced end l3a of the bearing. The collar is provided with an outwardly extending flange 24, the outer face of which is inclined to the axis of the shaft E2, the peripheral portion of the flange being beveled at 25 to afford a relatively sharp edge as shown in Fig. 1. The collar 22 is secured on the shaft preferably by one or more set screws 35 and rotates with the cutting wheel during operation of the shaft.

It will be noted that the flange of the collar is extended outwardly beyond the inner ends of the knives and in overlapping relation with respect thereto, and that it overlies and is positioned relatively close to the portion l5a of the frame with which the bearing I3 is connected.

The hay, straw, fodder, and other materials to be cut or chopped may be delivered by any suitable feeding means, not shown, to the cutting wheel, such, for example, as a continuous conveyor and feed rolls for discharging material under pressure to the revolving knives of the cutting wheel.

Means has heretofore been provided with a View to preventing the stringy material fed to the cutting wheel from being wound by the wheel and its shaft in contact with the shaft bearing. In this arrangement a collar was mounted for rotation with the cutting wheel with its peripheral portion spaced inwardly of the inner ends of the cutting knives which made it necessary to provide guard lugs for the knives extending outwardly beyond the ends thereof and to locate the same in registry with the knives. This arrangement of parts proved to be unsatisfactory for the purpose intended, and to such an extent that it was found necessary to discontinue the use of the same.

The present means for accomplishing the desired result has, however, proven entirely satisfactory and avoids the idea of attempting to protect or guard the inner ends of the knives, leaving the space between said ends free for the passage of the material.

In the present design the collar 22 and its outwardly extending flange 24 rotate with the knives in overlapping and spaced relation relative thereto and also in overlapping relation with respect to the bearing 13 and the portion I5a of the frame l5 disposed inwardly of the shear plate I8. Consequently, the surfaces of the fixed bearing and frame parts of the machine extending between the edges of the frame cover plates iii are covered by the collar and its flange so that the binder twine or stringy material discharging to the cutting wheel cannot be frictionally moved in engagement with said surfaces to become heatedand ignited, as has occurred heretofore by reason of the winding of such material in contact a with the bearing and frame portions opposite the central portion of the cutting wheel.

Furthermore, by providing a sharp edge and. beveled portion at 25 on the flange and disposing the outer face of the flange at an inclination to the face of the frame cover plate I5, the possibility of the stringy material catching on the flange and being wound in contact with the framevis avoided. This is especially true for the reason that the flange is disposed in a recess 26a formed between the extended portion l3a of the bearing and the sections of the frame cover plate It which constitutes a part of the frame. Furthermore the flange will tend to direct the material away from the frame and toward the cutting wheel for discharge by the latter and the fan or blower, not shown, which is associated with thewheel. Moreover, by rotating the collar and flange thereon with the cutting wheel, there areno fixed parts between the ends of the knives with which the material can contact so that therewill be no danger of setting the material on fire since it cannot be wound in contact with 'any parts fixed relative to the rotating shaft and. cutting wheel.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ensilage cutter, a frame having a shear plate, a bearing carried by the frame, av shaft mounted in said bearing, a cutting wheel on the shaft having a plurality of knives forcooperation with the shear plate, and a collar fixed on the shaft adjacent the bearing and having an outwardly extending flange overlapping the inner ends of the knives and spaced rearward- 1y therefrom adjacent the frame.

2. In an ensilage cutter, a frame having a shear plate, a bearing carried by the frame, a shaft mounted in the bearing, a cutting wheel on the shaft having a plurality of knives for cooperae tion with the shear plate, and a collar fixed on the shaft and overlying the bearing, said collar having an outwardly extending flange overlying a portion of the frame, all parts of the peripheral portion of the flange being spaced rearwardly of the inner ends of the knives and the front face of said flange being inclined relative to the axis of the shaft to facilitate discharge of the cut material toward the cutting wheel and the flange having a relatively thin peripheral portion disposed adjacent the frame.

3. In an ensilage cutter, a frame having a shear plate, a bearing carried by the frame and having an end portion extending in advance of an adjacent portion of the frame, a shaft mounted in said bearing, a cutting wheel on the shaft having a plurality of knives for cooperation with the shear plate, and a collar fixed on the shaft and having a recess within which said end portion of the bearing extends, said collar overlying a portion of the frame surrounding said bearing end and having an outwardly extending continuous flange the entire peripheral portion of which is spaced rearwardly of the inner ends of the knives.

4. In an ensilage cutter, a frame having a shear plate, a bearing carried by the frame, a shaft carried by the bearing, a cutting wheel on the shaft having a plurality of knives for cooperation with the shear plate, said frame having a recess opposite the central portion of the wheel, and a collar fixed on the shaft adjacent the outer end of the bearing and disposed within the recess of the frame, said collar having an outwardly extending beveled flange the peripheral portion of which is spaced rearwardly of the inner ends of the knives and in overlapping relation with respect thereto.

5. In an ensilage cutter, a frame having a shear plate provided with a shearing edge in advance of a portion of the frame, a bearing carried by the frame and having one end projecting in advance of said frame portion, a shaft mounted in the bearing, a cutting wheel on the shaft provided with a plurality of tangentially arranged knives for cooperation with said shear plate edge, and a collar fixed on the shaft and recessed to receive said projecting end of the bearing, said collar havingan outwardly extending flange overlapping the inner ends of the knives and overlying said frame portion, said :flange having its front face inclined relative to the axis of the shaft and its peripheral portion terminating in a relatively sharp edge adjacent said frame portion, all parts of the peripheral portion of said flange being spaced rearwardly of the inner ends of the knives.

VIOLET V. BULLOCK, .Admz'nistratix of the Estate of Fred J. Bullock,

Deceased.

Ill, 

